Dear John,

Since the Prime Minster announced his roadmap out of lockdown, our front pages have been filled with promises of haircuts, holidays and freedom. 

Unfortunately, the plan isn’t a guarantee of freedom or a return of our civil liberties. 

Dangerous suggestions have been made about vaccine passports and there is no indication that the Coronavirus Act will be scrapped. 

This Act created the biggest threat to civil liberties in a generation, and its renewal last September – despite repeated calls for it to be repealed – was the act of a Parliament doubling down on the wrong approach. 

In the coming weeks MPs have the chance to vote again on the Coronavirus Act. It must be repealed and replaced.  

It’s time for a fresh approach. 

Liberty has teamed up with expert charities, NGOs and lawyers to today present a positive alternative: The Protect Everyone Bill. 

Protect Everyone

When this pandemic hit, we needed a Government response that we could be confident would protect us. 

We needed an approach that prioritised support, not punishment. We should have had legislation that protected those most at risk, not laws that watered down rights and removed vital safeguards for groups like disabled and older people. 

If MPs vote down the Coronavirus Act, they have a three-week window to create a replacement. We’ve done this hard work for them.

The Protect Everyone Bill is one of Liberty’s most ambitious campaigns. We’ve drafted legislation covering more than 10 areas – from policing to education – with more than 30 policy recommendations and we’ve done this hand in hand with frontline groups. 

Our Bill removes the dangerous powers in the Government’s Coronavirus Act and replaces them with clear and proportionate measures focused on public health, human rights and protection for everyone equally. 

• It suspends the racist hostile environment for migrants. 
• It respects disabled people’s rights and stops local councils from cutting social care. 
• It ensures everyone in need has safe accommodation, including survivors of domestic abuse, homeless people and rough sleepers, migrants, and those in overcrowded housing.   
• It makes sure everyone can meet their basic needs.
• It protects safe, socially distanced protests. 
• And it guarantees that MPs vote on lockdown restrictions. 
• It supports everyone in the UK to safely follow public health guidance.

We’ll be in touch again soon on what you can do to help us get MPs to reject the damaging approach of 2020 and start to forge a new way forward – but we wanted you to see our plans first.

The Government has said it wants to ‘build back better’. The Protect Everyone Bill is how we do so. 

Together we can change things for the better.

Gracie Bradley                                                                                                                Interim Director

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